An Unexpected Twist of Fate
by Geministarz
Summary: Professor Snape sends an old friend to keep an eye on Harry for the summer... But who is she, really? And what happens when Harry finds out?
1. Change is on the Wind

Don't own, blah blah. Fifth year fic, starts during the summer. Hope you like Blaze and Ryo (who comes in next chapter)  
  
Harry woke once again to the angry face of Uncle Vernon. He flinched slightly as his uncle's tirade began. "That's the third time this week," he growled softly. Harry could see Dudley's face peering at him from the open doorway. "If I have to come down here and wake you up one more time."  
  
"Sorry," Harry quickly interrupted. "I'm trying not to, honest." Ever since he'd left Hogwarts the year before, he'd been having dreams about the Triwizard incident. Nearly every night, Uncle Vernon woke him from terrifying dreams of cold red eyes that had him screaming.  
  
"It had better not happen again," Uncle Vernon snarled, before quickly leaving the room. Harry knew he didn't dare do anything more than threaten him, after finding out that Harry's godfather was a convicted felon.  
  
With a soft sigh, Harry's thoughts began to drift back to his dream. He'd seen Voldemort, as clear as day, seen him laughing that cold, high laugh, and seen Cedric's cold face after. He quickly forced his thoughts away from that matter and back to the present. He'd only just turned fifteen, a painful reminder that Hogwarts was still months away. He wanted nothing more than to be out of this horrible place, especially now that Voldemort was back in power.  
  
With a sigh, he slipped out of bed and headed for the kitchen. He might as well see if he could help with breakfast and check the mail. Maybe Hermione or Ron had sent him a letter.  
  
However, by the time he'd gotten downstairs, breakfast was ready and the Dursleys were already eating. Silently, Harry took his place at the table and grabbed the last pancake. He stared down at his plate, not wanting to see the angry glares he knew were being directed at him.  
  
Number four, Privet Drive was always like this. Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin despised him and the fact that he was a wizard-in-training. He was heading into his fifth year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry in a few months, and the Dursleys were extremely embarrassed by that fact. They despised anything having to do with magic, or anything out of the ordinary.  
  
Having been forced to take Harry in fourteen years ago, they'd spent most of the time making his life miserable. Only recently had it gotten slightly better, with Harry attending Hogwarts for most of the year. The threat that he'd use magic on them or that his godfather would come for them slightly eased the pain of having to live with them.  
  
Harry was pulled from his thoughts as the doorbell rang. He looked up to see Uncle Vernon glaring into the next room. His face turned several shades of red as he got up and marched to the front door. Harry followed cautiously, curious to see who had come at such an early hour. He stayed back where he could see out the door but couldn't be seen by his uncle.  
  
"What do you want?" Vernon growled at the person standing outside. It was a girl. She had black hair that fell just past her shoulders, and a pair of dark sunglasses hid her eyes. She wore a pair of dark blue jeans that were loose, covered by a black hooded dragon sweatshirt. A pair of headphones was looped around her neck, and she held a Discman in her hand.  
  
She glanced Uncle Vernon over, a slight frown of distaste on her face. "I'm looking for a Harry Potter."  
  
Harry started. He had no idea who this girl was, and the mention of his name only seemed to enrage Uncle Vernon more. "Who are you? Are you from that filthy school of his?" he bellowed. "Get off my property! You're not coming in my house!"  
  
She tilted her head at him, a ghost of a smile crossing her face. "I take it you're the uncle? I was told I might have some trouble with you. Look, this is how it's gonna happen. Either you let me in and go get the kid, or I'll come in and find him myself. Take your pick."  
  
Uncle Vernon went even redder, and Harry quickly darted to his side, hoping to prevent a fight. "I'm Harry," he said. "Can I help you?"  
  
Her eyebrow went up from behind the dark glasses, and she pulled a letter from out of her pocket. Handing it to him, she said, "This is from Albus Dumbledore. You're coming with me. Go pack up anything you'll need for the rest of the summer and the school year." With that, she slipped past the two and into the house, heading for the kitchen.  
  
Uncle Vernon's eyes flashed. "Just who do you think you are, barging in here and making such demands?" he snapped, following her. Dudley and Aunt Petunia were staring at the woman with shocked expressions as she took a piece of bacon from the table.  
  
"People call me Blaze. Harry's going to spend the rest of the summer with me. I'll make sure he gets to school in time," she replied. Harry, having followed Uncle Vernon, glanced, shocked, between her and the letter in his hand. It was addressed to him. "Kid, go pack and read that letter," Blaze told him. "We've got a schedule to watch. I'll take care of your uncle."  
  
Vernon went gray at the way she said, "take care of," and Harry quickly obeyed. Up in his room, he opened the letter and read, Harry, I'm sending someone to look after you for the remainder of the summer. Please trust me, no matter what you may find out about her. I assure you, she is completely trustworthy. I'll tell Sirius where you are and I'm sure you'll be hearing from him soon. Things seem to be going well. I'll contact you again soon. Eternally Yours, Albus Dumbledore  
  
Harry re-read the letter several times before finally making a decision. He quickly pulled up the loose floorboard and grabbed the books he'd been using to do his homework recently. Shoving them in a pillowcase and grabbing Hedwig's cage, he started to leave the room to get his trunk when he paused. In case this really wasn't a letter from Dumbledore, someone should know where he was going. Quickly, he grabbed a scrap of parchment and a quill and wrote a note to Ron.  
  
Ron, Some girl calling herself Blaze just showed up with a letter from Dumbledore. It says I'm supposed to go with her. Tell Hermione I won't be at home for the rest of the summer. I'll write soon to let you know where I am. Do me a favor and hang onto Hedwig until I write back so she can find me. Harry  
  
He quickly rolled up the parchment, opened Hedwig's cage, and tied it to her leg. After letting her out the window with instructions to go to Ron, he took off downstairs. After he had collected his trunk and the rest of his belongings, he covered Hedwig's cage with a pillowcase so his aunt and uncle wouldn't know she was gone, and then headed back out to the front parlor.  
  
Blaze was still in the kitchen, sprawled up against the wall. "All set?" she asked as he appeared. Harry nodded, noticing that his relatives were standing together in the corner of the room. "Good." Turning back to the Dursleys, she said, "You'll receive word about whether to expect him back next summer." Then she turned and walked past Harry out of the room.  
  
"Er," Harry said, pausing. "I guess I'll be seeing you." Without waiting for a reply, he darted out of the room after the mysterious girl.  
  
She was waiting in the hallway by his trunk. "This all your stuff?" He nodded. "Right then." Pulling out a wand, she beckoned him closer. "Have you ever Apparated before?"  
  
His eyes widened. "No. They don't teach us that until our seventh year, I think."  
  
She shrugged. "No big deal. Ever used a portkey?"  
  
His mind instantly went back to the maze, the Triwizard cup, Cedric, and Voldemort. An involuntary shudder ran through him. "Yeah, I've used one."  
  
She'd tilted her head at him and the frown had returned to her face. "Right then. I'm going to change your trunk into one. Grab onto anything else before you touch it." He nodded and picked up Hedwig's empty cage, still covered in a pillowcase. The girl flicked her wand at the trunk and said a word Harry couldn't make out. She glanced back at him. "On three. One, two, three."  
  
The combined action of hearing her count down, then grabbing a portkey and feeling the now-familiar sensation of being pulled away once again made his mind wander to Cedric and the ghostly apparitions that had come out of Voldemort's wand. Before he could get lost in the memory, however, they arrived wherever they were going.  
  
Looking around, Harry saw what appeared to be a normal house. A large stereo system sat on top of a table against one wall, and a couch and two armchairs rested against the adjacent and opposite walls. A large TV sat in the far corner with a few game systems attached to it, as well as a DVD/VHS player. Through an open doorway, he could see a kitchen, complete with bar and stools, and another hallway lead to a series of doors that he assumed were bed and bathrooms.  
  
"This is it," Blaze said, glancing at him. "C'mon, I'll show you your room." Again flicking her wand at the trunk, she said a word that Harry once again couldn't make out. It rose a few inches and hovered behind her as she walked to one of the doors and opened it.  
  
Inside was a relatively empty room. There were two windows on the far wall, a bed in the corner, and a dresser with a mirror hanging above it. His trunk glided over to rest under the windows.  
  
"It's really plain, I know," Blaze told him, "But we can go shopping and get you a stereo and a TV or whatever you want. There's a computer in the room directly across the hall with Internet access, if you want, and to the left of it's the bathroom. My room's the last in the hall. The room on the other side of this wall is my library. I dunno if you're reader, but it's there if you like."  
  
Harry nodded, flabbergasted. "Er, can I ask you a question? Why are you doing all this for me?"  
  
She grinned, and he noticed that her smiles were usually accompanied by a head tilt. "Why don't we go shopping in a bit? That way you can get anything you like before you settle in."  
  
He blinked as she avoided his question. "I don't have any money, Muggle or otherwise."  
  
She shrugged. "No big. I'll pay for whatever. You need to do anything, or do you just want to leave now? Hungry?"  
  
"No, I already ate. And I guess we can go whenever."  
  
"Cool. Next stop Walmart. Next to Ebay, it's the best place to shop." §§§§§§  
  
A few hours later, Harry and Blaze arrived back at her home with a new stereo, a small collection of CDs, sheets, posters, a few cans of paint for his walls, a Discman, sweatshirt, and a few pairs of shirts and jeans for Harry. The bill had been for quite a bit of money, and he was surprised she was willing to pay for it all. He was even more surprised at her mode of transportation. When they walked outside, a sleek red and black motorcycle had been waiting for them. She'd handed Harry a helmet and off they went. After making all their purchases, he'd wondered how they were going to get it all home. She'd simply pointed her wand at it, and the bags had all shrunk to pocketsize. She then put them in her saddlebags, and they'd rode home.  
  
After watching her restore them to the proper size in his room, Harry noticed a pattern in her magic. Whenever she said a spell, he could never understand what it was she'd said. He made a mental note to ask her about it later, along with his questions about who she was, why she'd taken him in, and why she never took of her sunglasses.  
  
While Harry was in his room, putting together his stereo and assembling his bed, she appeared at his door again. "We can paint it later, if you like. Won't take too long, if we cheat."  
  
He jumped at the sound of her voice. He hadn't heard her approach. "Cheat?"  
  
"With magic."  
  
"Oh, right. Sure, if you don't mind." She shrugged, and there was a pause. "I'm gonna make some lunch, if you want some."  
  
"Okay," he said, nodding and following her from his room into the kitchen. He sat down at the bar as she started pulling things out of cupboards, using magic to have them prepare themselves.  
  
After a long silence, she said, "I'd imagine you have a lot of questions."  
  
He'd been waiting all day for the invitation to ask. "Who are you? Did Professor Dumbledore really send you to me? Why are you helping me?"  
  
A faint smile formed on her face. "Well, like you heard, people call me Blaze. My given name's Kali, though. I don't really care what you call me in private, but in public it's always Blaze. As for who I am. We'll come back to that one and the one about why I'm helping you. Yes, Dumbledore did send me, indirectly. He actually sent Severius Snape to contact me. He's the one who gave me your address. Next?"  
  
"Why can't I understand what you say when you cast spells?"  
  
"Because of a spell. It prevents others from understanding what you say. That way they can't try and duplicate the spell. I've had it on me since I was old enough to hold a wand."  
  
Harry nodded. "That makes sense, I guess. Why don't you take your sunglasses off?"  
  
She grinned. "Because I didn't want to send you screaming into the night." She reached up and pulled them off, locking eyes with him immediately. He drew in a sharp breath. Staring back at him were the eyes that had haunted his nightmares since the last task of the Triwizard competition. The only difference between the bright red eyes staring into his and the ones belonging to Voldemort was that where Voldemort had cat-like slits for pupils, Blaze had normal, round black ones.  
  
"I should imagine you're beginning to figure things out by now," she said softly. "I've heard you're a smart kid." He shook his head, and she nodded. "That's right, Harry. I'm Voldemort's daughter." 


	2. The Reaction

A sudden, sharp fear stabbed through Harry. If the daughter was here, then Voldemort couldn't be far behind. He leapt away from the counter, pulling out his wand and looking around for any danger. Why hadn't his scar warned him?  
  
"Harry, calm down," Blaze said softly, making no move to threaten or follow him as he backed away. "I'm not going to hurt you. Like I said, Snape contacted me on Dumbledore's behalf. I'm here to protect you."  
  
"How can I trust you?" Harry demanded. "How do I know this isn't a trap?"  
  
She shrugged. "You can't. But if I were trying to kill you, you'd be dead. If Voldemort was here, why hasn't he shown himself by now?" She paused, giving him a moment to ponder the question. "Just listen to me. Years ago, before he met you and lost his power, my father and I had a bit of a falling out. I went to Dumbledore. It took me forever to get him to believe me, but eventually he took my word for it. I haven't seen Father since." Harry was staring at her, a look of horror on his face. "For years, Dumbledore, myself, and a number of other wizards have been putting spells around your aunt and uncle's house so that Voldemort can't touch you there, but Dumbledore is concerned about your safety, especially now that he's returned to power."  
  
A far-off look appeared in her eyes. A moment later, she blinked and re- focused on his face as he said, "But Dumbledore said it was my mother's blood in me and my aunt that protects me here."  
  
She nodded. "It is, but extra protection is always helpful.  
  
"Anyway, that's who I am. I'm helping you because I really don't like my father. Plus, I owe Dumbledore for helping me out so long ago. I'm not going to hurt you, and I have every intention of bringing you to Hogwarts, once school starts. In fact, I'll be staying with you there during the year."  
  
Harry continued to stare at her for a moment. "And what if I run?"  
  
She shrugged. "Then I'll follow you. But I wouldn't recommend it. You'd be entirely vulnerable on your own, away from any sort of protection." There was a brief moment of silence. Finally, she said, "What can I do to convince you? Is there somewhere else I can take you for the next few months? Diagon alley, maybe? We don't have to stay here. Or if you like, you could have someone come stay here with us. A friend of yours or something."  
  
Slowly, Harry asked, "Why didn't Dumbledore come see me himself?"  
  
"He's really busy right now," Blaze replied. "If you really need to, I suppose we could track him down. He's got to be somewhere. All I know is that he's working on a line of defense against Voldemort somewhere. It could take a while to find him. I could take you to Snape."  
  
Harry frowned. Somehow, the teacher who hated him so much wouldn't be much of a reassurance, especially after Harry had discovered how he had been a Death Eater at one point. They could go visit Ron or Hermione, but that might put them and their families in danger.  
  
Slowly walking back towards the counter, Harry lowered his wand from an attack position. "Can I send an owl to Dumbledore, asking him to come visit us? And maybe we could go see a friend of mine?"  
  
"Sure," she replied, standing up. "When do you want to go? We could eat first, or if you like we could just head over now."  
  
"You can eat," Harry replied. "I'd rather wait though."  
  
She shrugged. "Suit yourself. You can watch TV or whatever while you wait." She grabbed a piece of parchment and a pen from the counter and handed it to him. "Here. You can write to Dumbledore. Hope you don't mind the pen, but I'm too lazy to use a quill when I don't have to."  
  
Harry nodded, then moved into the living room, picking a seat where he could keep an eye on her and write at the same time. Was he doing the right thing, dragging the Weasleys into this? Was he putting them in danger? He had no idea what to do in this situation. Maybe Dumbledore really did send her. He had sent Snape off to do something last year. But surely he would have mentioned this to Harry? And why had no one ever mentioned that Voldemort had a daughter before now? Could he trust her? He quickly wrote the headmaster, asking him to send an owl to the Weasleys with word.  
  
About fifteen minutes later, Blaze walked into the room, a small bag over her shoulder. "Ready?" He nodded, and she asked, "Where is this place? How do we get to it?"  
  
"It's-" Harry paused. He realized that he had no idea where the Burrow was. "Uh, I'm not really sure, actually."  
  
She smiled, sliding her sunglasses back on. "Okay, how about a name? Is this a wizarding family?"  
  
"Yes, they are, and his last name is Weasley."  
  
"Easy, then. They should have a fire lit somewhere. All we have to do is send a message through it." She walked down the hallway and into the library, beckoning Harry to follow. Inside was a large collection of not only books, but also what appeared to be comic books and shelves of potion ingredients. A cold fireplace was set into one of the walls, and as she gestured to it, it burst into flames. What startled Harry was that she didn't use a wand.  
  
Noticing this, she explained, "I have a bit of a gift with fire. That's where I got the name Blaze." Grabbing a jar from one of the shelves, she tossed a pinch of the powder inside into the flames. "C'mere. All you have to do is stick your head in and talk into it. You should see someone's face in a moment. Tell them you and I are going to use Floo powder to come over."  
  
Harry nodded, eyeing her and then the fire nervously. A moment later, Mr. Weasley's face appeared in the fireplace. "Harry!" he exclaimed, obviously surprised. "Hang on just a moment, I'll get Ron."  
  
"No, wait, Mr. Weasley," Harry said before he could leave. "Er, I have a bit of a favor to ask. Can I come over for a bit with a, uh, friend? I need to talk to you about something."  
  
The surprise written across his friend's father's face amplified enormously. "Of course you can. How are you getting here?"  
  
"Floo powder," Harry replied. "We'll be there in just a moment, okay?"  
  
"See you in a moment, Harry." With that, Mr. Weasley's face disappeared. Blaze had replaced the jar and was holding another one.  
  
"Have you ever used Floo powder?" she asked.  
  
Harry flinched. "Once, with disasterous results."  
  
She grinned. "It's happened to the best of us. Don't worry; I'll follow you if you get off track. You go first." She extended the jar to him, and he took a pinch of the powder. Tossing it into the fire and concentrating very hard on the Burrow, he stepped into the fire and clearly pronounced the word. A moment later, he was standing in their living room. Harry let out a sigh of relief, then moved so Blaze wouldn't trample him. All of the Weasleys, minus Percy and Charlie, were present.  
  
"Harry!" Ron said cheerfully. "How on earth did you get the Muggles to let you come?"  
  
"Later," he replied quickly. "Mr. Weasly, I need your advice. You see, this morning, a girl showed up at the Dursleys and she said Dumbledore had sent her and now I found out who she is and I'm not sure if I should trust her or not."  
  
"Harry, dear, slow down," Mrs. Weasley said. "What girl are you talking about?"  
  
At that moment, Blaze emerged from the fire. She glanced around the room, surprised at the number of people present. Her gaze landed on Bill for a moment, then continued on. "Hello. I'd imagine Harry hasn't had time to relay everything to you yet, so if you'd just show me the door, I'll wait outside."  
  
Mrs. Weasley looked shocked and slightly offended. "Why, there's no need for that! Any friend of Harry's-"  
  
"That's why he needs to talk to you," Blaze interrupted. "He's not sure if I'm a friend or not yet."  
  
There was a brief pause before Bill said, "I'll take her outside." He left the room and Blaze followed with one last glance at Harry. "Try not to scream," she tossed over her shoulder. "Don't want to think you're being threatened or anything." The two of them disappeared from view, and Harry shot a worried look at the door they'd left through.  
  
"Ron, is Hedwig around? Can you do me a favor, give this to her and tell her to go to Dumbledore as fast as she can," Harry said. Ron nodded, a puzzled look on his face, but left. He reappeared a few seconds later.  
  
"Now, then, what's going on?" Mr. Weasley asked. His wife was looking very indignant, staring after the two.  
  
"Well, that was rather rude, wasn't it?"  
  
"I think she was trying to be polite," Harry said. "There are a few things you need to know about her." He quickly relayed what she'd told him, producing a shriek from Mrs. Weasley. He pulled out the letter she'd given him from Dumbledore and showed it to them. "She says she's going to protect me until school starts. She's been really nice so far, gave me a room and bought me some stuff, but then she told me and."  
  
To his surprise, Ron laughed. "Come on, Harry. You-know-who's daughter? It's ridiculous. Someone would know if he'd had any kids, right, Dad?"  
  
"Children, go get your wands, quickly please," Mr. Weasley said, not answering the question. "I want you all to go up into the attic until we tell you otherwise."  
  
"But Dad!" Fred protested.  
  
"Now," he said firmly, in a tone Harry had never heard before. The four Weasleys scampered off to obey. "Now, Harry," he continued, "it's essential that you've told us everything."  
  
He nodded vaguely, his eyes unfocused, staring at the table in front of him. "Her eyes. She has the same eyes as him. That's how I knew."  
  
An instant later, he found himself wrapped in Mrs. Weasley's arms. "Oh, Harry!" she exclaimed. "This must be horrible for you, especially after what happened in the tournament, and then in the Department of Mysteries."  
  
He managed to force a smile, pushing away the painfully memories. "I'm alright, Mrs. Weasley, really. But what do you think I should do? I'm sorry I brought her here, but I didn't know what else to do."  
  
"Of course," Mr. Weasley replied. "You did exactly as you should." He sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. Glancing at his wife, he said, "Should we try to reach Dumbledore by fire? It could take Hedwig a while."  
  
Mrs. Weasley nodded and ran to find the right ingredient for it. When she came back, they immediately called him. A few moments later, Dumbledore's face appeared in the fireplace Harry had stepped from.  
  
"Ah, Arthur," he said, a pleasant smile on his face. "I've been expecting your call. I assume this is about Blaze?"  
  
Ron's father nodded. "So you did send her, then."  
  
"Yes, of course. I do apologize for the lack of warning, but I didn't know that she would actually arrive until just before she left." Dumbledore seemed to think this was a perfectly normal solution.  
  
"Albus," Mrs. Weasley said, "Do you really think we can trust her? You- know-who's daughter, for heaven's sake!"  
  
"Yes, yes, I realize that, Molly, but she's been an excellent help in the past. In fact, she's helped us with protecting Harry ever since we sent him to live with his relatives. However, with the recent circumstances, we decided it might be best for her to take him in. As I'm sure you can imagine, she's rather powerful."  
  
Harry had sat down on the floor, slightly in shock. Dumbledore had sent the daughter of the evilest man alive to look after him since he was a baby. She could've done anything, and he would've been helpless.  
  
He suddenly realized he had missed part of the conversation. Dumbledore was speaking again. "-Think it might be best if Harry simply went with her. We don't want to endanger any of your children."  
  
"We don't want to endanger Harry, either!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "Really, Albus, what you're asking.!"  
  
"Of course, it is ultimately up to Harry," Dumbledore replied. "If he chooses not to go with Blaze, we'll have to make other arrangements. However, Harry, I would seriously recommend that you take the young lady's offer."  
  
Harry blinked, confused, at his headmaster's face, flickering in the fireplace. All three adults were looking at him. After a moment, he said, "All right. I'll go with her."  
  
"Oh, Harry, are you sure?" Mrs. Weasley cried.  
  
He nodded. "I'll just have to be careful." Smiling at her, he added, "I'll send word if I suspect anything at all."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "And I'm sure you won't let her leave with him until after you've had a thorough interrogation of her, Molly. He'll be fine, I assure you. Blaze has long been a friend of Professor Snape and myself. But now I really must go."  
  
"Of course, of course," Mr. Weasley said. "Didn't mean to hold you up."  
  
"Not at all," Dumbledore replied. "You were merely concerned. Harry, I'll direct Hedwig back to you as soon as she arrives." He winked and vanished.  
  
There was an awkward moment where Harry and the Weasleys just looked at each other. Mrs. Weasley looked as though she was dying to say something, but held back. Finally, Mr. Weasley said, "Well, we'd best call her in and speak with her. Molly, go get the others. They should be here." They left Harry alone in the room and Mrs. Weasley returned a moment later with her children. Ron instantly moved to Harry's side.  
  
"Is she really, Harry? Are you actually going with her?" he demanded.  
  
Harry managed a weak smile and nodded. "I'll be okay," he said in a voice that sounded much more confidant than he felt. "She hasn't hurt me so far, and Dumbledore okayed her."  
  
Mr. Weasley entered with Blaze and Bill in tow. Ginny made a slight noise at the sight of them, and Blaze glanced over at her, grinned, and shifted her bag higher onto her shoulder.  
  
"All set, then? What's up, Harry?" she said, looking at him.  
  
Mrs. Weasley cut in, "Not yet. We're going to have a long talk, and then, if we're satisfied you mean him no harm, we'll let him go with you."  
  
She shrugged. "I figured there'd be some sort of an inquisition. Mind if I sit down?"  
  
Smirking slightly, Bill pulled a chair out of the table and slid it to her. She turned it backward and straddled it, facing them as they all took seats. Fred and George stood on either side of Harry, arms crossed, glaring at her. Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes at their bodyguard-like behavior, but didn't comment.  
  
"Well, then," Mr. Weasley said. "I suppose I should start by asking your name."  
  
"Blaze," she replied politely. "And you are?"  
  
After a quick round of introductions, Mr. Weasley continued. "Right. Now that that's done, why did you agree to take Harry in for the rest of the summer? How do you know Albus Dumbledore?"  
  
"I met Professor Dumbledore through a mutual friend, Severus Snape," she said easily. Ron made a bit of a choking noise at Snape's name, but she ignored it. "I'm not my father's biggest fan, and I'd already been keeping an eye on Harry since his parents died, so when Dumbledore asked me to make it a bit more hands-on, I didn't really mind. Miserable place the kid lives at."  
  
"But why were you looking after me before?" Harry asked.  
  
She glanced from him to Ron. "Actually, Severus asked me to."  
  
"He WHAT?" Ron demanded.  
  
Again, she shrugged. "He asked me to look in on him every now and then after the initial protection spells were cast. I owe him a lot, so I agreed."  
  
Harry and Ron looked at each other. Why on earth would the teacher who hated him the most be so anxious to get him help? It didn't make sense.  
  
A few seconds later, Mrs. Weasley asked, "Where will the two of you be staying?"  
  
"I've got a place," Blaze replied. "Harry's already been there. I can't really tell you where it is, though. You'll just have to trust me on that."  
  
"Am I correct to assume you're a witch?" Mr. Weasley said.  
  
She smiled slightly, tilting her head at him. "Of course. Wouldn't be much help to him if I wasn't, would I?"  
  
Glaring at her, George said, "What's with the sunglasses?"  
  
She pulled them off and glanced around the room, briefly looking into each person's eyes. A gasp went up from most of them, and Ginny cringed away slightly. "Yeah," Blaze replied to the looks on their faces, "that's why I leave them on. Sometimes I just change the color, like when I know I'll be inside a lot, but I didn't really count on telling Harry who I was today, let alone coming here, so I didn't bother."  
  
The round of questioning continued well past what would be dinnertime. Finally, Harry stood up with a sigh. "Look," he said, "I'm gonna trust her and Professor Dumbledore on this one. I promise I'll write you the whole time I'm gone so you'll know I'm okay, but for now, I think we should go. I'm not even supposed to be here this summer, remember?"  
  
It was true. Near the end of last school year, Dumbledore had specifically said that Harry was not to be at the Weasleys'. The magical barriers weren't strong enough, and it was to great a danger. Mr. Weasley knew this and slowly stood up, extending a hand to Harry.  
  
"Be careful," he said softly. "It's a dangerous world out there, now more than ever."  
  
Harry nodded, a soft smile on his face. "I will be. I promise." 


	3. Moving On

~*~I was gonna split this up a bit, but I figure I might as well just post it as all one chapter. Anyway, the time's a bit messed up (a lot has to  
happen in his summer!) so please excuse this. Please remember, this is Fifth-year, thus A) Sirius is live and well and B) Harry doesn't hate Snape  
quite so much (or for quite so stupid a reason-can anyoue say  
"Scapegoat?")~*~  
  
By the time the duo arrived back at Blaze's apartment, it was nearing to midnight. Glancing at Harry, she said, "You hungry? You didn't have lunch, and I could whip something up really quickly, if you want."  
  
He smiled slightly and nodded. "Sure, that'd be great." He trailed her to the kitchen and sat at the bar, watching her move around the small room expertly. "So you know Professor Snape? How'd that happen?" he asked, looking for something to say.  
  
She glanced up at him for a few seconds before grinning. "Not too fond of him, are you?" He blushed slightly and she shrugged. "To each his own, I guess, although he really is a great guy. We met years ago. I think I was about six. He wasn't in my father's Inner Circle yet, and while the other Death Eaters went out with Voldemort, Snape was left in charge of me. He was livid at being left behind. For the first hour or so he just paced the room and glared at me. Father kept doing that to him, though, even after he made Inner Circle. We became friends, and he actually told me when he was going to defect.  
  
"Anyway," she continued after a short pause, "I started to reject my father and what he stood for about the same time, and the original plan was for us to leave together. He was going to finish my education and take care of me until I was old enough. But 'the best laid plans of mice and men.'" Sighing softly, she glanced over at the boy at her counter.  
  
"Let's just say things didn't go as planned. We had to split up. Snape went to Dumbledore, and I was forced to stay with Voldemort. I knew something was up when Snape came back, but Father kept us apart, so I had no idea why he'd returned. Eventually, though, one of the Death Eaters figured it out and told me. I convinced him not to tell Voldemort and twisted things around, planted evidences that showed that I was the turncoat. Snape stuck his neck out for me caused a distraction so I could get away, and paid dearly for it." She stopped.  
  
"Then, shortly after Voldemort fell, he contacted me again. Told me about a little boy who'd somehow not only survived an attack from my father, but also destroyed him. He asked me to keep an eye out for you. Neither of us was stupid enough to think that he was gone for good. So we waited, biding our time. Snape didn't go to Azkaban, so I had no reason to even reveal my existence to the world. I used my given name, Kali Riddle, to get around in the Muggle and wizard worlds. Until today, no one other than Snape and Dumbledore has even known I exist."  
  
Harry sat gaping at her for a moment. "Wow," he finally mumbled. "But why would Snape care what happens to me? He hates me."  
  
"Does he though? Seems he went through an awful lot of trouble for someone he hates," she said, setting a plate of spaghetti in front of him.  
  
Harry frowned at her. "But he's always insulting me and my parents and glaring at me and punishing me for the slightest things. Dumbledore told me that he hated my dad, and that's why he's so mean to me. But," he continued, staring very hard at his plate, "the headmaster did tell me once that Snape owed my father a life-debt. But he already saved me once, back when I was a first year and Quirrell tried to kill me. It doesn't make sense."  
  
Blaze smiled mysteriously at him. "Maybe you should ask him next time you meet up." Grabbing her own plate of food, she started to walk into the living room. "C'mon, we'll have a movie marathon to celebrate your first night here. Your pick."  
  
Harry blinked slightly, unused to the idea of having food in the living room, but then hastily followed her, trying not to spill anything. "What do you have?"  
  
"Uh, let's see." she said, glancing at her shelf of DVD cases. "All the Batman movies, the special addition of The Fellowship of the Rings and The Two Towers, the Back to the Future trilogy, Star Wars. Basically everything good. Which reminds me, when we go to Hogwarts, remind me to bring The Faculty. Promised Snape I would. We always watch it over Christmas break."  
  
Harry paused in his search of DVDs. "So you're really coming to Hogwarts?"  
  
She nodded. "Just as extra protection, for you and the rest of the students. You probably won't see much of me once we get there. I mean, I show up every Christmas to watch the movie and no one's noticed me yet."  
  
"I thought electronic devices don't work on Hogwarts property. There's too much magical interference," Harry said, thinking of Hermione and Hogwarts, A History.  
  
She grinned. "They don't. But if you put up a spell around a certain spot and make it powerful enough, you can block the spells from one area. Of course, we only do it about an inch around the TV, so there's no chance of anyone Apparating in or anything."  
  
Harry nodded. It made sense. He'd have to mention it to Hermione next time she started talking about that book. His eyes landed on a particular movie and he quickly pulled it out. "Can we watch this?"  
  
Glancing at the title, she nodded and took it from him. "This is one of my favorites," she told him, sticking Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade into the DVD player. "I've got the rest of the trilogy. We can make a night of it and watch them all, if you like."  
  
He smiled hesitantly. "I think I'd like that." ~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Time passed by relatively quickly. Harry was delighted to hear that there were silence wards around his room, so he could play his music as loud as he wanted to and not bother anyone. In fact, Blaze told him that the only noises that could come from his room were ones of distress, like screams or cries for help. He'd forgotten to warn her about his nightmares, however, and the first night he woke screaming she'd barged into his room, wand held dangerously in front of her. He'd quickly explained, and now when he had the dreams she'd simply come in and wake him.  
  
About a week into his stay with her he realized that he would probably never know everything about the mysterious girl. He was sitting at the bar by the kitchen working on his homework one day when he heard an unfamiliar voice coming down the hall.  
  
"'Oh, didn't I tell you?' she says," the voice grumbled. "'He's staying with us until we go to Hogwarts in the fall.' How she expects me to take care of her when she never tells me these things, I have no idea."  
  
Slightly startled, Harry glanced up as a rather long, dark green snake slid into the room. The snake rose up off of the floor when it saw him, then quickly darted up the stool next to him and sat coiled on the top, staring at him. "Well, I don't see what's so special about you," it hissed. "You're barely old enough to be shedding your skin, let alone living with anyone. Especially her."  
  
Harry blushed at what was obviously meant by the comment. "We're not living together," he replied. "She's just letting me stay here."  
  
The snake recoiled in obvious surprise, and then narrowed it's eyes suspiciously. "You're a Parselmouth. Rather unusual. Well, this won't do at all! First of all she doesn't even tell me you're here and then she forgets to mention you can actually understand what I'm saying. I could've been blurting off valuable secrets and never even known. Simply unbelievable. I'm going to give her a piece of my mind." As quickly as it had arrived, it slid back down to the floor and down the hall to Blaze's room. A moment later, she emerged from it with the snake around her shoulders, a frown fixed on her face.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you speak Parseltongue?" she asked him. "It's a rather valuable piece of information."  
  
Harry blinked at her. "It never really occurred to me to mention it. I didn't think it was that important."  
  
Sighing softly, she sat down next to him. "For an ordinary wizard, maybe it's not. For a fellow Parselmouth, it's an amazing advantage."  
  
A startled expression flew to his face. "You're one, too?"  
  
She nodded. "As is my father, if you don't know already. How fluent are you?"  
  
He frowned. "What do you mean, 'fluent'? I've never found something I can't say, if that's what you mean."  
  
She shook her head slightly. "You can speak to a snake if you're looking at it, correct?" He nodded. "Can you speak snake-language when one's not directly in front of you?"  
  
"No," he replied. "I can't even do it with a snake that's not alive, or at least one that doesn't seem alive. Why, can you?"  
  
Blaze nodded at him, frowning in thought. "When I was a kid I had to say everything in Parseltongue or I wouldn't get meals. That was actually something else Snape helped me with. You get pretty good at it after a while." She sighed. "You didn't even catch that, did you? I just spoke to you in Parseltongue and you didn't notice. You really aren't fluent, are you?" She paused, looking at him. "Oh well. Guess we'll just have to work on that. From now on, I'm only speaking to you in Parseltongue. No doubt Ryo will be around constantly now that he knows, so you can talk to him and work out how to say things."  
  
Harry nodded, eyes wide. "You can really speak it whenever you want? But how often do you need to talk to snakes?"  
  
She smiled. "You'd be surprised. When you get older you'll probably want to get one as a pet of sorts. They're amazingly intelligent and loyal, despite what humans think about them. Plus, Parseltongue can be used as a primitive form of dragon-language, if the dragon's patient enough, which is enormously helpful."  
  
"I can talk to dragons?" he asked a dazed look on his face. "Hagrid and Charlie would go nuts."  
  
She smiled at him. "But it'll be a while before that happens. Right then. So from now on, you say everything you can in Parsel and maybe, if you're lucky, by the end of the summer we'll have you at least relatively articulate." ~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The work was long and hard, but by the end of the month Harry could say almost anything in Parseltongue without Ryo being around to help. It was difficult, but Blaze assured him that it would become easier with time.  
  
September first was fast approaching, and Harry still needed to get all of his things for school, so he owled Ron and Hermione to set a date for them to meet up at Diagon Alley.  
  
Blaze seemed to understand his hesitation for portkeys, so she instead arranged to Floo into one of the rooms at the Three Broomsticks. After arriving and dusting off and a quick detour to Gringotts, they headed over to Flourish and Blotts, the predestined meeting place. Hermione and Ron were already waiting, along with their families.  
  
Blaze hung back slightly as Harry was reunited with his friends. Her sunglasses and teen Muggle clothing set her apart from everyone else on the crowded street and she felt slightly out of place. Harry made quick introductions, and she nodded towards the Grangers.  
  
It took a while, but eventually all of the children had their school supplies for the year. They agreed to meet up in one of the back compartments of the Hogwarts Express on the first before saying their goodbyes and heading back to their own homes.  
  
Blaze couldn't help sighing slightly in relief as she stepped back into her library. The Weasleys had questioned her endlessly while they were in Diagon Alley, and she was slightly worn out and annoyed. Ryo, who had been offended at being left behind, was waiting.  
  
With one glance at his master, he said, "Well, I'm ever so glad to see it went well. You look like you had a wonderful time."  
  
Blaze shot him a glare. "Snakes were never meant to be sarcastic," she snapped at him, raking a hand through her hair. "If I never do that again, it'll be too soon."  
  
Harry frowned, glancing at her. "Did you have that bad of a time?"  
  
She waved his concern off. "I've had worse. Don't worry about it; I'll buy myself the new Daredevil soundtrack tomorrow and be happy. Why don't you go put your stuff away and I'll make dinner?"  
  
Hesitantly, Harry nodded, retreating into his room. Ryo, on the other hand, followed Blaze into the kitchen. "So?" he hissed. "What were they like? Do you trust them?"  
  
She shrugged. "They were just like every other non-evil people I've ever met. Polite, and terrified of me. You know I hate Diagon Alley, so why are you asking me how it went?"  
  
He slid up onto the counter and fixed her with an unblinking stare. "Because you'll probably be seeing a lot of those children this year, which means so will I. I'd like to know your opinion of them."  
  
Blaze sighed in a tired sort of way. "It doesn't matter. They're not even supposed to know we're there, so I'm sure they'll never meet you." ~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The rest of the week was spent speaking strictly in Parseltongue. Blaze had been right about it getting easier, and Harry could speak without quite as much effort by the time they reached Platform 9 and ¾. They were evidently the first of the small group to arrive and found an empty compartment to settle into before long.  
  
After a few minutes, the door slid open and Hermione entered. "Oh, here you are! Ron, they're over here," she said, calling out into the hallway.  
  
Harry brightened instantly. "Hi, Hermione. What's up?"  
  
Blaze choked on the sudden laugh that came from seeing Hermione's face. The girl looked puzzled, scared, and highly curious all at the same time. Her laughter was a foreign sound to Harry, and he glanced at her, surprised.  
  
"What?"  
  
Unable to answer, Blaze gestured to Ryo, who had settled onto one of the chairs across from her. "It might help," he hissed, "if you spoke in English. I don't think she's a Parselmouth, too."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Blaze laughed even harder at the mix of languages that came out of his mouth that time. Hermione looked startled. "Harry? What's going on?" she asked. "Why are you hissing at me?"  
  
Ron appeared in the door, uneasy at the sight that met him. "Hissing? Who's hissing?" He spotted Ryo and said, "Oh, he's talking to the snake. We knew he could do that ages ago."  
  
Harry concentrated and managed to say fully in English, "Sorry, 'Mione. I've been speaking like that for a while, and I guess I just got used to it."  
  
The intrigued look on her face grew more prominent. "So you can speak Parseltongue at will now?" she asked eagerly.  
  
Nodding, Harry proudly replied, "Yep. It took a while, but I'm pretty good at it now."  
  
Having gotten control of herself, Blaze shook her head slightly, pulling out her Discman and putting in a CD. She might as well give the kids a semblance of privacy; Ryo would tell her if anything important happened later. Slipping the headphones on, she closed her eyes and let the music overwhelm her. ~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Blaze didn't realize she had fallen asleep until Harry woke her. The grin on his face betrayed just how much he'd missed Hogwarts over the summer. "We're here," he said happily.  
  
Gently putting her Discman-now unusable, since they'd entered the protective wards around the school-into her backpack, she glanced over at Ryo. He was smirking a little snake smirk at her.  
  
"Have a nice nap?" he hissed. "You should be glad you don't talk in your sleep."  
  
The raven-haired girl smiled sweetly at him. "Why, no, Ryo, I don't mind if you make your way up to the castle on your own. Of course I won't carry you if you don't want me to." With that, she spun and walked out of the compartment, watching the students as they hastily exited the train. She followed Harry and his friends into a carriage that brought them up to the school, unfazed by the ritual.  
  
When they reached the Great Hall, Harry glanced over at her, unsure of what was going to happen. She smiled slightly at him. "Go sit down with your friends. I'll talk to Dumbledore later, in private, and they drop you a line as to what's going on."  
  
He hesitated. "Promise you'll tell me?"  
  
"Of course," she replied. "Ryo'd kill me if I didn't."  
  
The boy raised an eyebrow. "And he won't be mad after what you did to him on the train?"  
  
She grinned. "Well, he deserved it. Don't worry, he'll get over it eventually. He's never met a Pareselmouth outside of my family before, so don't be surprised if he shows up at odd times during the year to talk to you."  
  
"Tell him to drop by whenever he wants, my dormmates'll love him." Casting her one last smile and a small wave, he headed over to the Gryffindor table. When he glanced back a few seconds later, she was gone. ~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The Great Hall fell silent as Dumbledore stood. The Sorting had just finished, and he was going to make his ritualistic announcements before letting them eat. Spreading his hands in a hospitable way, he began, "Welcome, welcome to Warthog's school for Witches and Wizards." If he'd noticed the slip up in the name, he ignored it. "As I'm sure you're all already aware, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden for all students under pains of death. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that we're quite prepared to fill your empty heads again, especially with our newest staff addition. I'd like to introduce you all to your Defense against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor Riddle." He turned to a very dark corner. "If you'd just step forward a bit, my dear, the students could get a good look at you."  
  
Every person in the Hall turned to look at the mysterious new teacher, perplexed as to why they weren't with the others at the Staff Table. There was the slightest shift of a shadow, and a moment later, Blaze stepped out, an exhausted-looking Ryo wrapped around her shoulders. She stalked quickly over to the Headmaster and began whispering furiously to him. He replied very calmly. She shot back a reply, to which he smiled and gestured to an empty chair by Professor Snape. Glaring evilly at him, she shot a dark look around the Hall before reluctantly taking the empty place.  
  
Harry stared at the girl in shock for a moment. She hadn't mentioned being one of the teachers before, and it certainly didn't seem as though she'd been expecting Dumbledore to introduce her like that. She looked rather angry, actually, an emotion that Harry wasn't familiar with, at least not from her.  
  
The next thing he noticed was that she was talking to Snape. And he was smiling at her. Blaze had said something about them being friends, but he'd never seen the man interact with another human being without the oh-so- familiar scowl on his face. In fact, he looked rather pleased that she would be teaching there, even if she did have the position he'd supposedly wanted for years.  
  
Rumors started to spread the instant Dumbledore said, "Alberolingarn," and the food appeared on the table. Everyone seemed to think she had been a Slytherin years before, judging by the snake around her shoulders and the way she and Snape were getting on. Some people were saying she'd been expelled, while others said she was a famous Auror.  
  
Hermione and Ron were staring at their best friend. "Harry?" Hermione said, her tone surprised, "Did you have any idea?"  
  
He shook his head. "And somehow I don't think she did, either." ~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
True to her word, Blaze showed up later on that night when Harry was on his way to the Gryffindor dorms with Ron and Hermione. Ryo hissed a greeting, apparently having gotten over the earlier incident. Quickly excusing himself, Harry followed Blaze to a nearby, deserted corridor where they'd have at least the semblance of privacy.  
  
"So you're teaching?" Harry blurted out. "You never told me."  
  
"She didn't know," Ryo hissed happily. "Dumbledore didn't tell her, and neither did Snape. It's absolutely hilarious, don't you think?"  
  
"It is not funny," Blaze snapped at him. "I'm not a teacher, I have no idea what I'm going to tell them."  
  
Harry grinned. "I'm sure you'll do fine. I've got your class first thing tomorrow morning, so I guess I'll be the first to know, won't I? 'Night, Blaze, Ryo. Pleasant dreams," he said, his face shifting into a smirk as he disappeared, headed to his dorm. Ryo continued smiling after him.  
  
"Beginning to take after us, don't you think?" ~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The following morning found Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors seated in the usual Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Everyone was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new professor, curious to see who she was and find out what had taken place the previous night in the Great Hall. The bell that signified the start of class rang, and everyone went silent in their seats, wondering where she was. An instant later the door opened to emit the black haired young woman. Harry was amused to notice Ryo slither in behind her and make his way over to the teacher's desk. Halfway there, he paused, turned, and instead slithered up onto Harry's.  
  
Blaze shot the snake a look that clearly meant "be good" before turning to the class. "Right. Call me Blaze; none of that Professor junk. I'm gonna explain this to you right off. I'm not a teacher. I never wanted to be a teacher. In fact, I didn't even know that I would be teaching until Dumbledore made the announcement last night." A slight murmur went up, but was quickly silenced. "So here's the deal. I obviously have no lesson plan whatsoever, so I want you all to pull out some paper-scrap, whatever- and write down a few things you want to learn about in here. Think about it, talk if you must, but don't just write down what everyone else is. You'll turn it in at the end of class." With that, she sat down at her desk and proceeded to ignore the students  
  
Ron and Hermione instantly turned to Harry. "Is she for real?" Ron asked, eyes wide.  
  
Harry shrugged. "Must be. Hello, Ryo," he said, grinning at the snake. "Causing a lot of trouble?"  
  
The serpent smiled a snaky smile at him. "Of course. I'm fully enjoying the situation she's gotten herself into. I've never laughed this much over the course of a day before."  
  
Harry grinned. "Just wait until she gets her first batch of first years, or worse, Slytherins. That'll really have you in stitches."  
  
"Uh, Harry?" Hermione said softly, "I don't mean to be rude, but people are staring."  
  
Harry glanced up. Sure enough, nearly every eye was on him, including those belonging to Blaze. She had an amused grin on her face as she lightly flicked her wand in Ryo's direction. She said a word that no one in the room could understand, and an instant later the snake had flown across the room and landed on her desk.  
  
"No distracting the students," she said in Parseltongue.  
  
A cumulative gasp went up from the students as they all stared at her in awe. Neville let out a small squeak of fear, stuttering, "She's a-a-"  
  
"A what, Mr. Longbottom, is it?" Blaze asked, glancing at him. "A girl? A professor? A witch?"  
  
"A Parselmouth!" he exclaimed.  
  
She raised an eyebrow, shrugging. "Your point being?"  
  
Dean frowned, shifting slightly. "It's just that it's such a rare.gift."  
  
She tilted her head slightly, surveying the students. "Does the fact that I can talk to snakes intimidate you?" Ryo hissed at her, and she glanced back at him quickly. With a soft sigh of annoyance, she scooped him up and held him in view of all the students. "This is Ryo. He's rather annoying, but harmless. Expect to see him around the castle, now that we'll be staying here. Now get back to your work."  
  
They quickly complied, and the rest of the class passed uneventfully. When the bell rang for them to go to their next class, Harry approached Blaze's desk and handed her his scroll along with the other students. He hung back for a moment with Ron and Hermione to talk to her.  
  
"So, how'd it go?"  
  
She shrugged. "You tell me," she replied, glancing at the others to include them.  
  
Hermione shifted her bag slightly. "Well, we didn't really cover anything. I suppose we'll have to wait until next week to see how good of a teacher you are."  
  
Blaze looked up at her, an expression on her face that came close to respect. "Good answer."  
  
"Hey," Ron said suddenly, frowning at her. "Weren't your eyes red before?"  
  
She nodded at him. "It's a simple illusion spell that I use sometimes to hide my appearance. They're still red, but your brain's effected by the spell to think that they're really blue-green."  
  
Ron grinned. "Cool. You'll have to teach me how to do that, 'Mione."  
  
Hermione frowned at him, but didn't comment. "Anyway, we'd best be going, or we'll be late for class."  
  
Harry made a face. "Double Potions with Snape. Joy of all joys," he said darkly. Blaze smiled at him, shaking her head slightly.  
  
"Go ahead. If you're late, just tell him that I held you back and that you'll get a pass from me later."  
  
After a quick goodbye, the three Gryffindors hurried through the twisted hallways of Hogwarts. Even with the promise of a pass hanging overhead, they knew better than to be late for Potions. Taking several shortcuts through passages off-limits to fifth years, they somehow managed to get there before the bell rang again. As they sat, slightly panting in the room full of Gryffindors and Slytherins alike, they overheard several of their yearmates talking about their previous class.  
  
"A Parselmouth!" Neville was saying. "I can't believe it! I mean, who'd have thought?"  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't get what the big deal is," he said. "I'm a Parslemouth, too, and no one seems to care."  
  
"Well, yeah," Ron said, frowning slightly. "But remember how everyone reacted in our second year, when we first found out? It wasn't just because of the whole Heir of Slytherin thing, Harry. Parselmouths are notorious for being dark wizards."  
  
Harry snorted. "That's ridiculous."  
  
"What's ridiculous, Mr. Potter?" the cold voice of Professor Snape said from the front of the classroom. The students went silent, staring anxiously at him. "Well? I asked you a question."  
  
Harry resisted the urge to frown at the man. "Just the fact that people think that Blaze is dark because of the fact that she speaks to snakes."  
  
Something flickered through the Potion Master's eyes at the mention of the girl's name, but he merely said, "Five points from Gryffindor for disrespectfully addressing a professor."  
  
"I'm sorry, sir, but that's what she's asked us to call her," Harry replied.  
  
He glared at the boy in front of him. "Then the five points are for talking back, Mr. Potter. I suggest you hold your tongue before I subtract more."  
  
Harry nearly grinned out of sheer relief. With everything else that was going on in his life, it was nice to know that some things were constant. The sky was blue, Professor Snape was mean. It gave his world a sense of stability. However, he quickly glanced down at his cauldron, keeping his face carefully blank. 


End file.
